Forensic Psychologists and Psychological Autopsy - Research Paper Example

Forensic Psychologists and Psychological Autopsy Abstract The role of forensic psychology is high on the agenda in the modern world. It cannot be denied that psychological investigations play a crucial role in the modern criminal justice practices. Psychological autopsies are relevant concepts related to a recent phenomenon of psychological identities definition. These concepts have been recently developed. This research paper is devoted to tracing the modern tendencies in the field of forensic psychology and psychological autopsy. Key words: forensic psychology, forensic autopsy, psychological investigations, criminals, suicide. Introduction Not until 60s psychological autopsy in psychology was developed. Edwin Shneidman worked at this subject in the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center and made their practices more popular. Autopsies are very important in the process of the reason for equivocal death identification. Therefore, this aspect of psychology is of high relevance. Even though it is often claimed that pathologists are well trained in different aspects of death identification, the causes of death can be hardly identified. The psychologists are focused on the context of death and on the basis of interviews the psychologists are able to identify potential motifs of murders or any types of crimes. On the basis of recent researches and studies it has been claimed that: "the psychological autopsy method that uses informants to assess psychopathology in deceased persons has several limitations. These include factors related to the method of third party assessment, especially when information is gathered from a single informant (3), recall biases, and imprecise information" (Séguin, Lesage, 2006).The clinicians should be aware of different mechanisms of psychological autopsy identification. A special attention should be paid to relations between forensic psychology and psychological autopsy. Methods and approaches of psychological autopsy Performance of psychological autopsy is mediated at the following stages: interviews and friends of the criminals are conducted and then on the basis of reviews of required documents, a psychologist is able to perform a psychological autopsy. As a rule, the empirical basis for the study can be collected from famous databases, such as Psych Info, Academic Search Premier, Social Sciences Index, Lexis Nexis, Medline, and others. It is very difficult to correlate autopsy with every book of suicidology. Many attempts have been made to focus on psychological autopsies, but descriptive methodologies have been rarely introduced. Gender relations in the field of psychology are very often correlated with death. The role of patient-related factors is very important too. Actually, forensic psychology is in close relations with psychological autopsy. This fact can be explained by a strong background of criminal justice system in forensic psychology. In the field of forensic psychology, mental health professionals are able to take control over different psychological deviances and take control over psychological deviances in the process of court processing. Credibility of the specialist's practices can be achieved and it is very important to develop a strong relation between theoretical and practical approaches in the work of forensic psychologists. A forensic psychologist is able to perform at the highest level in the sphere of his competence. It is better for forensic psychologists to work much at their certain spheres of interests. There is a claim: "Forensic psychiatrists without access to - and proper review of -administration manuals may be eroding the reliability of psychological test results from the outset. In keeping with the current trend in professional training and development, psychological testing should be viewed as a "competency." (Bartol&Bartl, 2008).   Mental Health Professionals are mainly focused on a wide range of theoretical and practical aspects of their practices. The main attention should be paid to their broad and well-balanced professional practices on psychology. Let us refer to a biopsychosocial approach, under which more than 20% of the American inmates are treated. Potential risk factors are controlled by the forensic psychologist and the environmental risks are also taken into account. Family members of every criminal exert a great influence on a potential behavior and further crime actions. The main claims of "Consulting Police Psychologist Guideline" are the following ones: "a consulting police psychologist refrains from entering a multiple relationship if the multiple relationship could reasonably be expected to impair the psychologist’s objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing his or her functions as a psychologist, or otherwise risks exploitation or harm to the person with whom the professional relationship exists" (Consulting Police Psychologist Guideline, 2011). Therefore, this profession requires a multi-sided awareness of a potential ability to know different aspects of psychological features of an individual. An individual is often subjected to psychological pressures and the legal issues are not often considered by potential criminals. They do not think about possible consequences of their actions, but they are much more focused on their negative emotions, aggression and other factors, which are determinant for their actions (Marttunen, Henriksson, Isometsa, Heikkinen, Aro & Lonnqvist, 1998). Very often suicide reasons are correlated with methodology of PA: in case when suicide by adolescent males with no diagnosable psychiatric disorder is often explained as an impulsive act and facts of humiliation can be identified in the process of PA.  Good psychosocial functioning is a helpful tool in diagnosis of psychology and psychopathology. Very often it is necessary to talk to many professionals, who can introduce some clarifications to any given case of suicide. A professional competency of a Forensic Psychologist is developed in terms of the criminal justice system and a field of psychology. Forensic psychology and forensic science are two different things. It is even more difficult to relate forensic psychology to either field of psychology or judicial system, because public policies, laws etc are properly considered by the forensic psychologists. From another perspective, forensic psychology is closely interwoven with some aspects of law, public laws and regulations etc. Forensic Psychology is often focused on treatment of mentally ill criminals or offenders (Gustafsson & Jacobsson, 2000). The Psychological Autopsy (PA) is based on research methodology. The certification of death is often based on forensic psychology. Both criminal and civil cases are considered from the perspective of a forensic procedure. As a rule, PA is based on different interviews with people, who are potentially related to the offenders or criminals. Information is collected and evaluated in three main spheres: Motivation, Intent, and Lethality (Drogin, 2007). For example, it is possible to determine intent on the basis of expressed verbal threats, some suicidal attempts or threats, depression, alcoholism and other deviant behavioral factors. Moreover, to identify motivation it is possible to take into account the issues of anger, shame, guilt, revenge, and many other issues. There is no doubt that suicidal behavior can lead to death. In accordance with the study by Lonnqvist (1998): many years have passed since PA became an important and an accurate method for suicidal motifs identification. A person's death is usually identified in terms of PA. Thus, forensic psychologists are working at exact identification of what a person did before death, which habits he had etc (Lonnqvist, 1998). The process of information collection cedes of personal data and information analysis, which is obtained from the personal documents, reports of police, medical records, personal interviews with families, friends and other people, who talked to a person before the death. Gregory Zilboorg's initiated PA investigation in 1934. The psychiatrist Edwin Shneidman invented a special term for PA or "psychological autopsy", which concerned different psychological methods and means of investigation used for psychological features identification. This psychologist underlined the importance of interviewing children, colleagues, friends and other people who knew the deceased. More accurate classifications of death were reached in the process of this psychological approaches implementation. The psychological autopsy played an important role in investigation of suicide risk factors. The majority of victims of suicide are often diagnosed as having a mental disorder. As a rule, those, who were subjected to suicide, were inclined for having depressive features or some hints on maniac depression, some problems with alcohol or drug addiction etc. Moreover, some scientists claim that previous negative experience or tragic events in the life of a person have been also taken account by the forensic psychologists in the process of death's reasons identification (Simon, 2002). In accordance with the study conducted by Trompetter (2011) the psychological autopsy is positioned as a unique method for death's reasons identification, finding out special features and individual characteristics of a victim's nature, and to gain a methodological basis for further research. Very often psychological studies focused on suicide cases are conducted on the basis of different interviews of relatives and friends of a victim. Thus, it is evident that this researcher expresses a negative attitude to PA and talks about numerous inconsistencies in this approach. The process of psychological autopsies can be clarified in the following way: to conduct a research and clinical investigation with respect to clinical and legal basis. Many people take part in the process of interviewing and the victims of suicide can be easily diagnosed in the process of PA. To find out how a person died, it is necessary to take into account different types of investigations. Very often descriptive interpretations play a decisive role in a potential identification of death's reasons. In combination with the activities of a forensic psychologist it is possible to reach a well-balanced ratio of legal and psychological issues. Thus: "When expert mental health testimony is at issue, the forensic psychological consultant can provide counsel with a literature-based review of relevantscientific findings and principles, emphasizing in each instance (1)  the degree of "certainty"-if any afforded each separable component; and (2) the degree of "certainty" with which it can be predicted that such findings and principles will obtain in different situations, with different litigants, with different disorders, et cetera" (Marttunen, Henriksson, Isometsa, Heikkinen, Aro, Lonnqvist, 1998). As far as we can see, a sphere of a scientist's interest and a scope of his potential actions are very interesting. It is evident that forensic psychologist should be aware of the following facts: a personal attention paid to every patient, to refer to legal and psychological issues. The main reason for PA can be explained by the forensic psychologists in the following way: PA is determination of the insurance status of death. It is possible to determine if death occurred in the result of suicide or not. Some policies of forensic psychologists do not relate to the family of the deceased in case suicide is identified. Very often in this case forensic psychologists explain their actions in such a way: they do not want to hurt family and relatives of a dead person. A psychologist must evaluate a reasonable conclusion and determine the essential reason for a suicide (Trompetter, 2011). It is evident that the emotional and psychological state of the individual before his/her death plays a key role for the forensic psychologist. PA is often positioned as an optimal psychological evaluation approach. Moreover, it is necessary to conduct medical researches and interviews with different participants and pay a special attention to relatives and family members. In the article by Berman (1993) a psychologist claims that PA is often used in parens patriae cases. On the basis of three main cases, the researcher claimed that very often suicide occurred in the result of drowning. Psychological tests and interviews were often conducted in the process of PA. Nevertheless, there is a lacking of PA practices generalization. In another study conducted by the Sweden scientists, telephone interviews of potential victims of suicide can be very effective. These researchers claim that an empirically-validated system for psychological autopsies should be better referred to the main motifs, which will lead to the most outstanding results. Other researchers and scientists from the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago were not mainly focused on practical issues. In case of this research it is evident that a literature review of history and research in the field of psychological autopsies is very important. Methodology of various researchers should be taken into account. Different types of people should be interviewed. There is a necessity to find out the way PA should be conducted on various people. The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center’s procedures, which were based on PA, concerned preparation for death and many other external factors, which were decisive and determined further suicidal behavior. Simon conducted another relevant research in terms of the Program in Psychiatry and Law at Georgetown University School of Medicine. The causes of death are identified by approaches and methods of PA. It is better to refer to exact procedures in the process of a psychological autopsy and avoid biased data collections. Anyway, the psychological autopsy underlines that the main investigating method and approach cedes in the considerations about potential circumstances of death. A forensic investigation includes a psych autopsy. PA is based on the following data: biographical information; personal data and additional information. As a matter of fact, it is appropriate to take into account some external data, such as lifestyles of people, their different habits and many other external factors, which can influence a potential suicide occurrence. Berman & Litman (1993) claim that postdictive analysis develops a logical formation of the reasons, which led to a logical understanding of the relationship between the victims of suicide and their behaviors, which they showed before death. In other words, they underline an important role of PA in forensic psychology approaches and methodology. Of course, it is relevant to take into account background data on PA conduct. One of the main issues is that the systematic approaches do not exist. There is an option that a person conducting a psych autopsy may not have a special education of a forensic psychologist and to make relevant conclusions he would have to refer to other external data and knowledge. Conclusion The most effective correlation between PA and forensic psychology occurs in case of both psychological, social and legal investigation is conducted. In other words, there is a need to refer to the main developments in the sphere of a forensic psychology and consider the most important aspects of psychologist's activities in case of death's reasons identification or finding particular keys to a certain case. On the scope of various works, researches and studies it has been identified that the most important thing for the modern science of psychology is to identify the basic principles for potential functioning of their appropriate conclusions and possible preventive measures, which are introduced in the name of lives preservation. Basically, the conclusions of forensic psychology and PA concern the most and foremost idea of the criminal justice system: to prevent suicides or potential health or life hazards of the society. In different countries the issues of forensic psychology and PA are correlated and combined for effective prevention of crimes. References Bartol, Curt R. and Bartol, Anne M. (2008). Introduction to Forensic Psychology Research and Application.2nd Ed. Consulting Police Psychologist Guideline. (2011). Retrieved from: http://theiacp.org/psych_services_section/pdfs/Psych-ConsultingPolicePsych.pdf Dattilio, F. M., Sadoff, R.L. (Fall 2011). Should Forensic Psychiatrists Conduct Psychological Testing? Journal of Psychiatry & Law, Drogin, E. Y. (2007). The Forensic Psychologist as Consultant: Examples from a Jurisprudent Science Perspective. Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 35(3), 245+. Gustafsson, L., & Jacobsson, L. (2000). Interviewing significant others by telephone as part of a modified psychologic autopsy. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 54(2), 127-133. Marttunen, M. J., Henriksson, M. M., Isometsa, E. T., Heikkinen, M. E., Aro, H. M., & Lonnqvist, J. K. (1998). Completed Suicide among Adolescents with No Diagnosable Psychiatric Disorder. Adolescence, 33(131), 669. Sequin, M. (August 2006). Suicide Cases in New Brunswick from April 2002 to May 2003: The Importance of Better Recognizing Substance and Mood Disorder Comorbidity. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 1. Simon, R. (2002). Murder, suicide, accident, or natural death? Assessment of suicide risk factors at the time of death. In R. I. Simon and D. W. Shuman (Eds.), Retrospective assessment of mental states in litigation (pp. 135-153). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. Trompetter, Philip S. (2011). Police Psychologists: Roles and Responsibilities in a Law Enforcement Agency. Read More